More Plantings

These days, we are picking up speed on our indoor plantings in preparation for the Gardening Season 2009. Things are still at a relaxed pace, which we relish before the busy-ness that will soon arrive.

With all of our plans for such indoor plantings, we needed to think about window space. Our home has lots of windows, which we love. Plus, the sun is quite good for plants at different stages. After some thinking, we figured out some ways to get more space for plants at the windows.

Richard built shelves for the south windows. A picture of those shelves will follow. What you see above is a shelf Richard created at the east window of the Family Room. Currently, those Cedar boards are sitting on top of some green 5 gallon buckets. Over the next few days, he will actually be creating some benches for this space which will double as benches for outside. This new arrangement has met with Scampy the Cat's approval. And of course, his approval is important.

Our Moon Sign book tells us that this is a good time for planting seeds for later transplanting in the Garden. So yesterday, that is just what we did. We will be planting more later in the week.

Melanie planted Veggies: Broccoli (Romanesco Italian, Calabrese Green Sprouting, Packman-Hybrid, Waltham). Richard planted Prairie Plants: Big Bluestem and Butterfly Milkweed. I planted: Flowers: Sweet Alyssum (White and Multi-Colored), English Lavender, Four O' Clocks, Salvia Mixture; Veggies: Cabbages (Premium Late Flat Dutch, Danish Ballhead, Henderson's Charleston Wakefield, Mammoth Red Rock).

My seed packs tell me that the plants need a range of 4-8 weeks prior to setting out. Some cool season plants will be able to be planted in April; the warmer season varieties will find their way outside by mid-May.

The Four O'Clocks were a favorite of my Grandfather Fred, Mother's Father. Apparently, they bloom around 4 in the afternoon. I have high hopes for a big Cabbage crop this year. I shall have to figure out ways to make sure that the Cabbage Butterfly Larva and the Cabbage Loopers don't dine out on the Cabbages before we do. That will be an interesting process.

I took my seed packs into share with Mother at the Nursing Home yesterday. It strikes me that being in the Nursing Home is a big separation from the outer world that is the familiar. I am trying to bring some of that outer world in to her to keep her connected. We had a very special time talking about the seeds I had planted and that she knew so well.